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6:00 am, March 31st, 2026 - 18 comments
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Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.
The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
Instead of playing hardball, the Government should immediately apply a targeted, temporary, and timely action of lifting the mileage rates for care workers. It will be more than just a bad look when patients who can no longer be adequately cared for are ending up in hospital under emergency.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/591069/care-workers-unions-take-health-nz-to-court-over-travel-costs-as-petrol-prices-soar
The present NACT1 Govt have little, if any, understanding of future flow on effects/consequences. Short term plan… is it.
And in your link…they employ people who are experts at avoidance.
I wondered where I had seen that name before…
A connection to your comment? Well IMO yes.
"One might wonder if the system doesn't want people to live longer because they cost a lot more once they get over 65 but that might be a cynical view."
I would consider that to be a statement of fact, as opposed to a cynical view.
Democide: when a government’s policies, through negligence or intent, cause the deaths of its own citizens.
Remember that since 1984, the concept of community/fairness/looking after the vulnerable/everything else changed to 'it's all about me, what's in it for me, and how much profit can I make. And don't forget, tax cuts. tax cuts and more tax cuts. All these things are way more important to a good half of NZers, because they keep voting for it. They cannot say by now that they aren't aware of the implications of their vote.
From the UK, but some parallels can be seen.
https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/austerity-cuts-to-social-care-and-health-caused-57000-deaths-research-suggests/
Well, IMO its very parallel. The same people doing the same shit to the same people.
I saw this trend, and the extent to which it might go, thirty or forty years ago. Every employee, it seemed to me then, would eventually come to be regarded as an individual "cost centre" (to use the term then current – it may well be some other bit of jargon now), having to balance the value of their productivity against the cost of resourcing them to generate said value. Too long a time with your net productivity value in a negative balance, and you’d unceremoniously be shown the door.
With that concept normalised, and working-age beneficiaries already thoroughly squashed, it wouldn't be such a very great leap to extend it to other net consumers of wealth, such as National Super recipients. (A first step was of course taken – and later reversed – with the infamous surcharge of the late 80s to early 90s.) Neglect of the "unproductive" aged generally would follow on not long afterwards.
Absolutely! Nicki No Boats is a economic genius, actually, with a very big brain.
The highest % unemployment in a decade. Without the exodus to Aus it would have been worse. NZ Aotearoa is on a backward track, and the sorted love a manufactured crisis.
https://www.azquotes.com/quote/876609
3.3% growth – Westpac for PM!
Yesterday’s article in Newsroom:
https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/03/30/economic-growth-forecasts-downgraded-as-fuel-price-rise-bites/
That's a helpful update on rising and falling forecasts – thanks.
https://www.mbie.govt.nz/about/news/fuel-stocks-update
In very stable geniuses we trust – fingers crossed.
Does anyone else find it ironic that the great Hon Nicola Willis is giving us weekly shipping updates? Last time I checked she wasn't very good at boats 🙂
She surely hasn't mentioned the ferries.
Screwing South Korea over the ferry build now looks like a bad decision that just keeps on giving. We need all the good will we can muster for fuel supply countries to honor supply contracts and/or supply us over someone else who cries louder.
Maybe we need to be breeding up horses and building sailboats./only somewhat sarc
It is no longer possible to deny the rascist ethno/religious supremicist ideology of zionism with the passing of the Palestinian execution bill, after which Ben Givir and associated fruit cake ideologues popped champagne and chanted "may we execute terrorists, as many as possible!"
Or Aotearoa having a death penalty only for Maori.
https://substack.com/@abubakerabedw/note/c-235767196?r=b9n9c
https://substack.com/@councilestatemedia/note/c-235763131?r=b9n9c
We do live in interesting times.
Here are the Greens rightly in my opinion asking for an inquiry as to why McCains and Heinz are closing factories.
Where are the Nats, where is ACT on this?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/greens-call-for-urgent-inquiry-into-heinz-watties-and-mccain-plant-closures/7KTZ2AX6KZEBBJN4BNU3WJHVKQ/
A telling sentence:
“If the regulatory environment, energy costs, foreign-owner indifference to New Zealand interests, or anti-competitive behaviour from supermarkets is the problem, the public have a right to know.”
Right now as we experience the consequences of lack of fuel sovereignty, we are allowing a lack of food sovereignty to increase.
https://archive.li/ijIuP
NZ Herald
National reshuffle coming Thursday as grumpy selection and Sunday night meeting trigger leadership speculation
”National Party insiders claim a flurry of meetings over the weekend are normal and not related to speculation of party instability or the position of Christopher Luxon as leader.
National ministers from Auckland met on Sunday night, a fact which leaked out on Monday, promptings speculation about Luxon’s leadership on… Tuesday.”
Hard to know what to think. Luxon is an asset for Labour. A new leader could show instability, or be a master stroke.
Probably just planning to put a wig on Luxon and hope no one notices he's the same old stale.
As always, look beyond the headline to the details:
NZ Wrong Direction 56
Right Direction 34
No Prime Minister can survive those numbers. He's toast.
Roy Morgan New Zealand Poll: Support for National-led Government and Labour-led Opposition now tied – Roy Morgan Research
"Get our country back on track" and Luxon haven't aged well – NAct are 'In it for the sorted'.
Sling yer hook CoC; time to Launch with Labour – that'll give Nicki No Boats the willies.
Who cares – Winston First's ferries might arrive in 2029. Meantime, just fly why don't you.
Incognito as I'm total night owl can this be moved to today (2 am as I'm posting) – as always your choice. But we might do well following our friends from Labor across the ditch.
Media watch Australia.
Social Media being exposed legally for their predatory behavior. In the first two stories.